The invention relates to a method of manufacturing lens elements comprising a glass lens and a metal holder, in which a glass preform is heated together with a metal holder to the processing temperature of the glass, the heated glass preform and the holder are arranged between the heated dies of a mould, which dies have a profile corresponding to the profile of the glass lens to be formed, the two dies are then moved toward each other in a pressing stroke, the glass preform is moulded in the holder into a glass lens, a quantity of glass being pressed away during the moulding operation and the composite lens element thus obtained consisting of glass lens and holder is finally cooled.
Such a method is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,935. Due to the fact that in this known method a quantity of glass is pressed away from between the dies, the maximum inner moulding pressure is limited.